With a question that seems almost counterintuitive on the surface, we receive numerous calls every year asking if vinyl siding can be painted.
If vinyl siding one’s home is meant to eliminate (or at least dramatically reduce) maintenance, then why would someone want to entertain painting it?
There are actually many reasons why.
One reason is that perhaps the person whose home it is had inherited the vinyl siding to some degree and never liked the color but did not think that it could be painted.
Another reason is that someone falls in love with the home during the buying process, loves everything except the color, and are bummed because the siding is vinyl and they are not sure if it can be painted.
Yet still another reason is if someone had lived in their home for decades and the vinyl siding is a bit faded (which is wholly conceivable if the home was vinyl sided well before the much more color retentive vinyl siding products of today!).
Regardless of the reasoning, the answer is a simple ‘Yes!’ as to whether vinyl siding can be painted…the challenge however, is painting it correctly so that there are no subsequent problems down the line.
When deciding to paint vinyl siding, the most critical component of any paint system applied is the prep process.
Certainly, the vinyl siding should be properly cleaned.
After cleaning, the surface should be dry and free from as much “chalking” as possible.
Once these conditions are satisfied, the next step is to make sure the correct ‘bonding primer’ is applied.
If this step is not done properly, this could spell disaster later on as subsequent coatings could start to peel in “sheets” if the correct bond does not exist between the finish coat system that is applied and the vinyl surface that is being painted.
Upon successful application of the bonding primer, the finish coat can now be applied.
A ‘vinyl-safe’ finish coat should be utilized. If there are any questions as to whether a product or specific color is ok to use on vinyl siding, the best bet would be to consult with your local paint supplier that the product is being purchased from to confirm that everything is ok to use.
Both the bonding primer & finish coat should be applied using a ‘sprayed application’, preferably with an airless paint sprayer (utilizing a brush to ‘cut-in’ where necessary and obviously making sure that all surrounding surfaces are properly protected).
Because of the variety of nuances involved, painting vinyl siding is super tricky and is accomplished with best results when being done by an experienced professional.
An important note is to make sure that after all products have been applied and given the chance to thoroughly dry, someone goes around the home and ensures that each & every seam where the vinyl comes together is “freed up” and made sure that there are no paint-oriented products which are going to prevent the natural expansion & contraction of the vinyl siding itself.
Painted vinyl siding, if done properly, should have an almost infinite time-period associated with it in terms of when it will need to be done again, as paint products on vinyl are not nearly as susceptible to peeling as they are on wood products, and the color retention of paint products on vinyl today vastly supersedes that of those previously available on the marketplace.
If you are contemplating having your vinyl sided home painted, I would not let the naysayers influence you.
For if done properly, the results may be more beautiful and long-lasting than many folks would ever imagine possible!
